Library Strategic Planning Update

Preliminary work designed to position the Libraries' for the next long range strategic planning process continues to move ahead, and takes into account the search for a new University Librarian. Planning continues on the nature of future collection-building, responsive user services, and space concerns, as well as preparing documentation for the future University Librarian.

What is happening?

Library Space: until a University project to renovate the O’Neill Library occurs (late in the campus planning process), incremental changes continue. More prime space on Level 3 will be transformed into user space, with plans for a long-needed library instruction classroom under development, underutilized and/or duplicate reference titles weeded, more varied seating and study space offered. A new carpet will be installed this summer on levels one and three.

Conversations, focus groups, and surveys are eliciting from faculty important information about their research needs, the use of the Library collections and faculty attitudes regarding possible future Library initiatives. Key issues include journal e-only initiatives, the quality of the print book collection, the role of e-books, budgetary concerns, and reflections on how communication between faculty and the Library can be improved.

Research Support: development continues on new library search tools to provide more seamless federated searching (i.e., cross-searching), a user-friendly interface, enhanced access to multi-media content, and improved integration of full-text e-books via services like the Open Content Alliance and Google Book Search. Improved access to e-journals, Interlibrary Loan, and other services will also be improved with a more intuitive "FindIt" interface. Finally, the nature of a print reference collection and an improved page for web reference sources will also be addressed this summer.

Access and Services: the Library web site is in the process of being assessed and made more useful; work continues to expand access to collections and services via research guides; the Library space in the new Agora portal represents another opportunity to be where the students are; and internal training will address the possibilities that some social networking software offers for library services.